Texas among the best states for nurses

Updated 4:00 pm, Tuesday, June 17, 2014

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Texas is the ninth best state for nurses, according to a recent Wallethub survey that considered factors such as salaries, job opportunities and work environments to determine where a new nurse should go to start a career. less

The state comes in at No. 8 in the "opportunity" category, which considers the median starting salary, average annual salary, the number of health care facilities per capita, the number of medically-underserved areas, the projected percentage of the population over age 65 and the nursing schools in the state. less

The state comes in at No. 8 in the "opportunity" category, which considers the median starting salary, average annual salary, the number of health care facilities per capita, the number of medically-underserved ... more

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Texas has the highest average annual salary for nurses, when adjusted for cost of living.

Texas has the highest average annual salary for nurses, when adjusted for cost of living.

Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff

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The state has among the fewest health care facilities per capita, however, coming in at No. 5.

The state has among the fewest health care facilities per capita, however, coming in at No. 5.

Photo: Karen Warren, Staff

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Texas is No. 11 in the "competition" category, which looks at nursing job openings per capita, the number of nurses per capita and the unemployment rate.

Texas is No. 11 in the "competition" category, which looks at nursing job openings per capita, the number of nurses per capita and the unemployment rate.

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

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Texas also has one of the lowest projections for the number of people over age 65 by 2030, ranking fourth-lowest.

Texas also has one of the lowest projections for the number of people over age 65 by 2030, ranking fourth-lowest.

Photo: April Saul, MBR

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Texas' worst category is "work environment," which considers mandatory overtime restrictions, the state's share of the best nursing homes, the best states for working moms, the average number of hours worked and the average commute time. The state ranks No. 36 in this category. less

Texas' worst category is "work environment," which considers mandatory overtime restrictions, the state's share of the best nursing homes, the best states for working moms, the average number of hours worked ... more

Photo: Rubberball, Getty Images

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Keep clicking to see the top 10 states to be a nurse.

No. 10 - Maryland

Keep clicking to see the top 10 states to be a nurse.

No. 10 - Maryland

Photo: Rob Carr, AP

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No. 9 - Texas

No. 9 - Texas

Photo: Steve Ueckert, .

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No. 8 - Minnesota

No. 8 - Minnesota

Photo: Bruce Bisping, MCT

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No. 7 - Wyoming

No. 7 - Wyoming

Photo: ROBERT W. BLACK, AP

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No. 6 - Alaska

No. 6 - Alaska

Photo: M. Scott Moon, Associated Press

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No. 5 - New Mexico

No. 5 - New Mexico

Photo: MICHAEL AINSWORTH, KRT

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No. 4 - Arizona

No. 4 - Arizona

Photo: Jeff Topping, Getty Images

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No. 3 - South Dakota

No. 3 - South Dakota

Photo: South Dakota Tourism

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No. 2 - Washington

No. 2 - Washington

Photo: STEVAN MORGAIN, AP

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No. 1 - Oregon

No. 1 - Oregon

Photo: Don Ryan

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The survey asked several experts to name the biggest problems nurses today. Here are some of the issues they identified:

"An aging population and therefore a sicker population that will put more demands on nurses" - Steven G. Ullmann, University of Miami less

The survey asked several experts to name the biggest problems nurses today. Here are some of the issues they identified:

"An aging population and therefore a sicker population that will put more demands on ... more

Photo: Tetra Images - Erik Isakson, Getty Images

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"Despite recent improvements in the nursing job market, the profession
still faces an uphill battle to recruit and retain new nurses. Nursing
still relies disproportionately on women, and although the percentage of
men in nursing has crept up, it's not enough to keep up with the
demands of an aging society. Women interested in careers in medicine
today have many more choices than their predecessors." - Robert B. Hackey, Providence College less

"Despite recent improvements in the nursing job market, the profession
still faces an uphill battle to recruit and retain new nurses. Nursing
still relies disproportionately on women, and although the ... more

Photo: Steve Debenport, Getty Images

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"The bigger issue facing the profession is cultural. Television medical dramas provide millions of Americans with an up close and personal view of the US health care system, but nurses are often relegated to minor roles in the most popular TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy. The physician centric nature of most TV health dramas provides a misleading impression for viewers, as doctors perform many of the tasks at the bedside usually done by nurses." - Robert B. Hackey, Providence College less

"The bigger issue facing the profession is cultural. Television medical dramas provide millions of Americans with an up close and personal view of the US health care system, but nurses are often relegated to ... more

Photo: Kelsey McNeal, Getty Images

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"Poor work environments that undermine nurse effectiveness and efficiency. Lack of evidence based decision making by health care executives that often leads to dangerous reductions in nurse staffing that adversely affect care quality and safety." - Linda H. Aiken, University of Pennsylvania less

"Poor work environments that undermine nurse effectiveness and efficiency. Lack of evidence based decision making by health care executives that often leads to dangerous reductions in nurse staffing that ... more

Photo: Martin Barraud, Getty Images

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"The biggest issue facing nurses today is changing the mindset about nursing practice to adjust to the realities and possibilities of the Affordable Care Act, including the shift from hospital-based to ambulatory care, the impact of technology on health care delivery, the delivery of primary care by nurse practitioners, the proliferation of health promotion and disease prevention programs and the rapid graying of the U.S. population." - Gloria F. Donnelly, Drexel University less

"The biggest issue facing nurses today is changing the mindset about nursing practice to adjust to the realities and possibilities of the Affordable Care Act, including the shift from hospital-based to ... more

Photo: RJ Sangosti, Getty Images

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"Seems to me that the biggest issue facing nurses today is their role in the evolving integrated delivery systems. At its core, this is a ‘scope of practice’ issue: who should do what in a reformed health care system? What is the role of the physician, the nurse practitioner, the RN, the Physician Assistant, and so on?" - Michael S. Sparer, Columbia University less

"Seems to me that the biggest issue facing nurses today is their role in the evolving integrated delivery systems. At its core, this is a ‘scope of practice’ issue: who should do what in a reformed health ... more

Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images

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Texas among the best states for nurses

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A Wallethub.com survey analyzed jobs and hospital data across all 50 states to determine where nurses have the best opportunities, and Texas is high on the list.

The industry does have its challenges, however. Click through the slideshow for thoughts from industry experts, along with the top 10 states for nurses.